A 49-year-old patient has arthritis of the right and left knee with ongoing pain and swelling. The physician performed an arthrocentesis for the patient's condition. Patient was prepped and fluid withdrawn from the left knee joint. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was instructed to return for a follow up visit in one week to aspirate the right knee joint. Select the appropriate CPT and ICD-10-CM codes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

20610-LT, M17.0 is the correct combination because 20610 represents an arthrocentesis procedure with aspiration and/or injection for a major joint or bursa (such as a knee), and the modifier LT indicates that the procedure was performed on the left side. M17.0 is the ICD-10-CM code for bilateral primary osteoarthritis of the knee, which matches the patient's condition of arthritis in both knees, even though the procedure was only performed on one knee during this visit.

A 49-Year-Old Patient Has Arthritis of the Right and Left